asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the position with regard to the maintenance of order in Palestine: when the report of the Royal Commission is expected; and whether he can give an assurance that no decision will be arrived at. by the Government until the House of Commons and British public opinion in general has had an opportunity of considering the recommendations?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any information to give the House as to the position of affairs in Palestine?

I have just received from the High Commissioner for Palestine statistics of cases of serious crime in Palestine during each of the periods 1st January to 10th May, which show that there was a definite improvement in the situation during the month of April and that this improvement was maintained during the period from 1st to 10th May. The figures are as follow:

	Cases.
From 1st January to 31st March	162
In the month of April	40
From 1st to 10th May	10

In the month of April there were four assassinations, one of a Jew and three of Arabs, and one attempted assassination of an Arab. From 1st to 10th May there were no cases of this nature. There has been no case of major disorder in recent weeks, and the only other important incident to be reported is that on nth May, 196 persons detained in the Farm Labour Camp at Acre under the Crime (Prevention) Ordinance and the Emergency Regulations declared a hunger strike as a protest against their preventive detention. The hunger strike ended on 15th May and was not attended by any disorder.

As regards the second part of the question, it is hoped that the report of the Royal Commission will be signed about the middle of June. As regards the third part, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by the Prime Minister on I.4th April. Until the report of the Royal Commission is received no final decision as to procedure can be taken, but it is hoped that it will be possible for His Majesty's Government to reach their conclusions without delay and to publish them simultaneously with the report. The House will, of course, have the usual opportunities to discuss both the report and the Government's conclusions.

Will the Government consider the advisability of publishing the report before they come to their conclusions, in order to enable public opinion, in this House and outside, to express itself on the report?

No, I think it is clearly the responsibility of the Government to give a lead to the House, in any discussion, as to their views on the report of the Royal Commission.

In how many of these cases of assassination have the culprits been brought to justice; and does the right hon. Gentleman attribute the reduction in the number of cases in April to increased respect for law and order or to the effect of the law of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth"?

I think to the very energetic measures taken by the High Commissioner and the police, in co-operation with the military, for dealing with the situation. As regards the other part of the right hon. and gallant Gentleman's question, I must have notice of it.

Does the right hon. Gentleman mean that both the report and the comments of the Government will be available to the House in the middle of June?

As I made clear, we understand that Lord Peel and his colleagues hope to sign the report in the third week of June. It will then be presented to His Majesty—that is, the Cabinet will consider it. I hope there will be no delay in presenting both the report and the views of the Cabinet on the report together, as a white paper to the House.

With regard to 196 prisoners who were on hunger strike at Acre, was this strike terminated by the release of the prisoners, according to the news given in the "Times" three or four days ago, or are they still under detention?

I understand some of them are still under detention. They were under preventive detention under the Prevention of Crime Order. Some of them, I believe, have been released.

That is why the strike is over—because the hunger strikers have been released?

Not necessarily.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any compensation will be or has been paid to the Jewish colony of Mitspa for the 98 head of cattle, their sole source of livelihood, stolen by Arabs and driven into Syria on 10th March last?

I have already communicated to the right hon. and gallant Member a report from the High Commissioner for Palestine which is too long to quote in this reply, describing the circumstances in which the cattle were stolen, the steps which were taken to trace the cattle and to capture the raiders, and the financial assistance which the Government has provided for the owners of the cattle. This assistance consists of a loan of £30 to each farmer with interest at 4 per cent. per annum, repayable over a maximum period of eight years, and it has been decided that if the District Commissioner of the Northern District is satisfied that the colony is financially incapable of meeting the interest charges in the first year, the collection of the first year's interest may be postponed and spread over the remaining seven years. The High Commissioner hopes that this will relieve the colonists of any undue hardship until they become self-supporting again.

In view of the fact that the right hon. Gentleman said that the only compensation given to these people who had had their sole means of livelihood taken from them was a loan of £30s at interest, may I ask whether a more liberal form of compensation for losses due to the lawlessness in Palestine will be provided?

As the right hon. and gallant Gentleman knows, the whole question of compensation will have to be considered in due course, and I cannot prejudice the basis of anything of that kind by dealing with isolated cases. It is obviously a very big question. I understand from the High Commissioner that these particular colonists are not in effect entirely without means of livelihood.

Has not this question of compensation been discussed long enough, seeing that it started nearly a year ago?

It is quite obvious that it cannot be discussed properly until we know what the whole and final situation in Palestine is, and we cannot know that until we know what the report of the Royal Commission contains, and the consequences that follow from that report.